Yesterday evening, Joe Dobias, the chef-owner of JoeDoe on First Street, opened a spin-off sandwich shop, JoeDough, at 135 First Avenue between St. Marks Place and Ninth Street. Slicing bread in a 4-seat nook decorated with personal tchotkes, Mr. Dobias said, “This place is for the customers. It’s about what they want. My other restaurant is about my ego and what I want.”

That said, at least a couple of JoeDough’s $10 sandwiches are carryovers from JoeDoe: The Conflicted Jew consists of chicken liver, bacon and onions on challah bread; the JoseDoe Cubano is made with roasted pork shoulder, shoulder bacon, Swiss cheese, mustard sauce and house-made pickles.

Mr. Dobias worked at a slate of Asian-influenced restaurants, including Ming Tsai’s Boston restaurant Blue Ginger, before opening JoeDoe on First Street. That experience influenced his self-described “aggressive American” cooking style. “I tend to use chilies, spice and vinegar over butter and oil,” he said.

Asian cuisine isn’t his only influence: He grew up in Long Island, and his background is Italian and Irish. His girlfriend Jill Schulster, whose silk ballet slippers hang on the wall, is Jewish. (His Almighty Brisket sandwich is shown in The Local’s slideshow.)

Mr. Dobias said he might expand his range still further, by opening a vegetarian restaurant next. “I’m actually the furthest thing from a vegetarian,” he said, “but if you took the meat out of my meat dishes, they would still taste very good.”

In the meantime, JoeDough is open (and delivering at 212-780-9222) from noon till 10 p.m. daily; late-night service may launch early next year. Have a look at the menu.

How Does Your School Stack Up?

Hello, Neighbors

The Local was a journalistic collaboration designed to reflect the richness of the East Village, report on its issues and concerns, give voice to its people and create a space for our neighbors to tell stories about themselves. It was operated by the students and faculty of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, in collaboration with The New York Times, which provides supervision to ensure that the blog remains impartial, reporting-based, thorough and rooted in Times standards. Read more »